New shoes, new shoes, red and pink and blue shoes. . . .

Tell me, what would you choose if they let you buy?

That’s a memory from childhood triggered by Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris, the book I am reading at the moment. The poem is one that I had to learn when I was at school.  It is a happy poem and one that brings back happy memories.

Choosing Shoes

by Frida Wolfe

New shoes, new shoes,
Red and pink and blue shoes.
Tell me, what would you choose,
If they’d let us buy?

Buckle shoes, bow shoes,
Pretty pointy-toe shoes,
Strappy, cappy low shoes;
Let’s have some to try.

Bright shoes, white shoes,
Dandy-dance-by-night shoes,
Perhaps-a-little-tight shoes,
Like some? So would I.

BUT
Flat shoes, fat shoes,
Stump-along-like-that shoes,
Wipe-them-on-the-mat shoes,
That’s the sort they’ll buy.

Unfortunately I am one of those people who has “generously proportioned” feet so shoe buying has always been a bit of a chore for me.  There never seems to be the shoes that I want in my size.

I love it that when kids are little it doesn’t matter what size the shoes are as long as they can get them on their feet.